WHAT TO MAKE OF MICHAEL PINEDA

Photo: Getty Images

I'll be the first to admit it. When I first saw that the Yankees acquired Michael Pineda, I got a little excited. I had picked him up the year prior in Fantasy Baseball and he did pretty well for me. In his first 18 starts, he went 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA and 133 K's. He was named to the All-Star game as a replacement his rookie year. He very well could of, and maybe should have been chosen in the first place.

Photo: Getty Images

When I saw that Jesus Montero was part of that Yankee deal... I got a little less excited.

Granted the Yankees needed pitching at the time, and we had a few catchers in the system but, how could they trade away their, at the time top prospect, for a kid that had to yet, really established himself?  If I would have known then what I know now, I would have been a lot more excited.

Basically, the Yankees got Pineda for nothing. Think about it. They sent Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners, both of whom are long gone from Seattle. Montero is languishing somewhere in the Orioles system looking for another chance while, Noesi is pitching in Japan after being with the Yankees, Mariners, Rangers, and White Sox.

With all that being said, this piece from Newsday shows the reason why, even with those factors, it's hard to call this trade a win.

Photo: Getty Images

"Give the Yankees credit for the Michael Pineda trade. In essence, they got the big righty from Seattle in 2012 for Jesus Montero, who went from can’t-miss prospect to overweight, twice steroid-suspended bust.

And give the Yankees credit for getting Pineda back on the mound after he missed more than two seasons after serious shoulder surgery. They were patient, and Pineda worked hard to come back from an injury that can often mean the end of a career.

That’s where the credit ends, though, for both player and team."

Photo: Getty Images

After missing 2012 and pitching just 6 games for AAA Scranton in 2013, Pineda won the 5th starter role in 2014. Since that time the Yankees have received a lot of foreplay with very little action. He started the 2014 season off great with a 1.83 ERA in his first four starts.

Of course, within those first four starts, there were the now infamous pine tar incidents.

Over and over we have heard about how Pineda has the "stuff" to be a very successful starter in the Major Leagues. In fact, at times he has shown that he does, at least until there are two outs. This issue has been a problem too long now, and I don't know what can be done to correct it. Does Larry Rothschild have some kind of magic trick in his pocket to help corral this? He seems to know as much as us fans do, about what can be done.

“Michael might’ve left Larry scratching his head more than anybody else,” manager Joe Girardi said. On whether he personally spent the off season wondering how to get Pineda better, Girardi said: “Offseason, in-season, mid-season. Every season.”

After this season Michael is a free agent and, more than likely will be wearing a new uniform next year if he cannot somehow overcome his 2 out jitters.

I really hope, as I'm sure all of you do, that this can somehow be fixed. Forget 32nd St. the Yankees need a miracle at 161st St.




--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr

CAMPOS ON THE MOVE AGAIN

You all remember Jose Campos who suddenly became Vicente Campos. He was the guy who came over to the Yankees when we shipped Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners when we received Michael Pineda.

Campos had injury and while the sports media touted him as being the better end of the deal, Pineda finally pitched and Campos was given up.  He went to the Diamondbacks this season.  And now, according to n Arizona Diamondbacks beat writer, Nick Piecoro, He's on the move again:

Dbacks lose right-hander Vicente Campos on waivers to the Angels. Campos was acquired from the Yankees in July for reliever Tyler Clippard.

— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) November 4, 2016

Hey, that's life in the major leagues. The MLB is where you see what teams need and if you can hack it... and it's hard as hell. Campos is now trying to make it again.  According to MLB Trade Rumors:

"...The 24-year-old Campos made his Major League debut this season, tossing 5 2/3 innings of relief for Arizona (in one appearance) and allowing three runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He pitched across three minor league levels this season between the D-backs and Yankees systems, ultimately spending most of his time at Double-A. In 142 2/3 minor league innings this year, Campos notched a 3.22 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9."

OK then. Maybe the Angels can figure it all out.

MICHAEL PINEDA: THE ACE

Good things come to those who wait, and man did the Yankees wait for this one. Michael Pineda has finally reached the place where we can declare him our official ace. It was always the plan that he would be a #1 or a #2 starter when we traded for him. He was only 23 years old when he first joined the Yankees, so we knew some development had to happen – maybe a year or two as a legitimate #3 starter. He certainly showed a lot of promise in his first and only year with the Seattle Mariners. While many questioned whether he was worth the price of top prospect Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi, you only have to look at how those two guys are doing now to see that we robbed the bank on that deal.

There are certain characteristics you expect from an ace of the staff. The most important one is wins – the one slot in the rotation where you expect a win everytime out. Pineda is 4-0 in 6 starts, with the Yankees record at 5-1 in Pineda starts. He is effective, with an ERA at 2.97 and he averages about 6 and a half innings per game. He is durable, having thrown at least 90 pitches in each start, topping out at 101 in his latest start. His fastball is in the low 90’s and he mixes in off-speed pitches in the mid-80’s about half the time. He is not afraid to throw strikes, doing so at a rate of about 69%, and he has only gone to a 3-0 count once – ONCE – this season. In what I consider to be the sign of his ability to lead and motivate, Yankee hitters are averaging 4.7 runs per start. I could quote a dozen more stats to this effect, but it would only reinforce the image that this guy is the bedrock, the ace of this pitching staff.

Now when we declare someone the ace, the backstory is always that every other starter is NOT the ace. In the Yankees’ case, we have two pitchers who once held the title of ace of the staff. Those two, of course, are C.C. Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka. Sabathia was signed in 2009 to be the ace of the staff, and he delivered in that role for several years, including 2009 when we won the World Series. I love C.C., but after several injury-plagued years, he just is not pitching at that level anymore. When he is on, he is lights out. When he is off, he is way off. He is way off often enough that you cannot rely on him to deliver a win every 5th turn. Nobody wants him to return to his ace form more than me, but he is probably a #3 or #4 starter at this point.

Masahiro Tanaka came in with a splash and a big signing, and he was outstanding. When you have a guy who is 12-4 with an ERA of 2.51 and a K/9 of 9.4 at the midway point, he becomes the de facto ace. Then he had that slight UCL tear, and it has been downhill ever since. He was not the same pitcher when he returned in September. After getting his arm strength up and his fastball velocity into the 90’s in his last two starts, he got hurt again and will miss at least a month. There is almost no confidence that his arm has the durability to go a full season. The fact is that his best play may be to have the dreaded Tommy John surgery and come back for the 2017 season. After all, did we not wait a couple of years for Michael Pineda because of injuries and surgery? But I digress ….

The only thing standing in the way of Michael Pineda is Michael Pineda himself. We have seen him make a bunch of knuckleheaded moves with the pine tar, and the last two years have seen hope dashed by injuries. Right now, though, he is showing a lot of maturity, no signs of wear, and no indication that he is holding back. He looks strong and dominant, and if he keeps this up, he has a legitimate shot at being a 20-game winner. The confidence shows when he takes the mound, his own and that of the rest of the team. That’s the ace.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







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DOMINATION IN FENWAY!

The Yankees need to beat the Boston Red Sox every time they play them.  That should always be the plan.  Tonight, despite the boos and signs that read ELL$BURY, they stood like professionals with 1 mission... win.  Behind Masahiro Tanaka, they scored 9 runs, had 15 hits, and never looked back.  They didn't flinch tonight... that's the way I like my Yankees.

Jacoby Ellsbury is batting .342 this season. Tonight he was 2-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. He had a double and a triple and the message was clear, "You can boo all you want... you let a good player walk to a rival. Big mistake."

Tanaka went 7.1 innings. He gave up 2 runs and struck out 7.  He gave up back to back homer to David Ortiz and Mike Napoli, but what pitcher doesn't have problems with those guys? It was simple; he missed his spots those times. Life goes on.  Give Tanaka credit, he pitched real well. He is legit.  Dellin Betances followed and gave up only 1 run.  He too looked good. He's developing into what the Yankees wanted from him a few years ago. I like that.

It's evident the Yankees are feeling good about themselves right now. Offensively, they're solid.  Brian McCann was 3-4 tonight.  Ichiro was 2-4 tonight and currently has a .371 AVG.  Carlos Beltran cranked out a homer.  Even Derek Jeter looked great tonight! Things are happening ladies and gentlemen, and it has #2814 written all over it.   Yes, the bullpen is alittle weak, but with David Robertson being activated from the DL today, and a guy like former Yankee, Hector Noesi being DFA'd by the Texas Rangers today (Dallas Morning News HERE), moves can be made. I'm not saying we're going to make major moves, but I am saying the Yankees will improve. DRob provides leadership, and while Noesi may or may not be on the Yankees radar, all I'm saying is, there are options. Maybe he could be an extra option for them.

Look, in the end tonight, the Yankees looked great... dominant, and full of energy in Fenway.  Let's keep it going boys... I like what I see!

Final: Yankees 9 - Red Sox 3.

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HECTOR NOESI IS STILL WANTED

Good for him.  You remember Hector Noesi right? A few years ago, he was being used by the Yankees quite a bit. At the time, I was suspicious, not because Noesi was bad, but I knew there were a few other guys in the minors that they actually liked alittle better.  My thinking back then was, "Why is Noesi up, and those other guys not?"

It became clearer and clearer to me that they were actually showcasing him to other teams.  It was confirmed when he was part of the trade that sent Jesus Montero to the Mariners in exchange for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.

Anyway... that's old news.  The new news is that he was just acquired by the Texas Rangers.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:

#rangers gave cash to #mariners for hector noesi
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) April 12, 2014

Well there you go.  Noesi is still working.  Current Yank or former Yank... we like to keep our audience in the loop.

Wish Hector well... won't ya?

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IT'S BECAUSE OF ELLSBURY THAT WE NEED ICHIRO

Look, there were many fans that expressed concern when Jacoby Ellsbury was signed with the Yankees. The reason? Injury. When Ellsbury is healthy, he's awesome. But he gets hurt a lot and that's a concern. Brendan Kuty had a piece out in the Star Ledger he states that the Yankees are "weary" of Ellsbury calf injury.  That's the reason why he's been playing in the minor leagues.  I get it, but, then why the hell are we doing this? Many Yankee fans predicted this would happen.  I know, I know, you can say "Hey, he gets hurt a lot because he plays hard". I get it and I back him for playing hard. You want that in an athlete, but it's in the back of your mind as a fan, and that's why you worry... especially with a guy like Ellsbury.

On the other side of the coin, there have been unnamed sources and plenty of media that suggest that the Yanks are willing to trade away someone like Ichiro Suzuki.  Yesterday it was pretty much confirmed... for now anyway, that with Zoilo Almonte sent to AAA, Ichiro is the Yankees extra outfielder.  I've been skeptical of the Ichiro trade rumor for months here... and I'm glad the Yankees see his worth, even if some fans don't.

But here's where it all connects for me. If Jacoby Ellsbury goes down, who would have filled his role if Ichiro was shipped off to the Tigers or something?  Look, it's evident to me that if Jacoby strains something, he's out and Brett Gardner will move over to center. That's automatic.  Carlos Beltran is our permanent right fielder. He ain't moving. That leaves an open spot for left field. Sure, Alfonso Soriano can play there, but Soriano not as nimble as an Ichiro. Plus, he can't play the field every day in my opinion. We could easily put Soriano in the DH spot some days and put Ichiro in left. See what I mean?

Despite what people may think, and there ARE Ichiro Haters out there, he can still play. I got a kick out of the following comment below.  This guy commented on BYB the other day hating on my man. But remember, Ichiro is a singles hitter these days, so he'll get on base for you. He can also play the field easier than many in MLB...still at his age. Anyway, check out this comment:

First off, Ichiro is not terrible. That's silly to say that. Secondly, we advocate for the kids here at BYB. Having Zoilo Almonte is a great idea, but I wasn't sure the Yankees were willing to keep Zoilo on the roster 3 days ago and I was right when it was confirmed yesterday. I mean sure, Colonelnp's point is great and valid, but I don't think we disagree. I'm of the nature of thinking ahead with what we have right now and what we have right this second is Ichiro!

Look, we also got almost $6 million on the books for him. Why eat the salary and ship him out when you'll most likely need him?  Sure, Ichiro was a desperation grab when we traded away Hector Noesi, but he's not exactly a liability.  It was a smart move.  Ichiro on the bench is a good problem, especially if you need a pinch hitter, pinch runner or fielder.  He still has a glove... he still has a bat... and in a world of injury worry with Jacoby Ellsbury's history, and Ichiro willing to do whatever the Yankees need... again... this is a good problem. 

All I'm saying is keep Ichiro, especially if we have Ellsbury. Especially if we're worried about Ellsbury getting healthy. It makes sense.  

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BANUELOS & CAMPOS WATCH

It's been a while since we last heard an update on both Manny Banuelos and Jose Campos. Both who have been nursing injuries and Banuelos had Tommy John surgery resulting both to sit for the year.

(In Photo: Jose Campos)
But it's a whole new year now isn't it? Let's start with Jose Campos. He was the 2nd trade chip in the Michael Pineda package which sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to complete the trade with the Seattle Mariners. He is down at Single A Charleston where he is pitching out of the bullpen in relief duty. The soon to be 21 yr. old is pitching with 1 Win and 1 Loss with a 4.21 ERA in and 35 Strikeouts in 10 appearances in 2013. Campos is ranked the 12th best pitching prospect in the Yankees farm system going into this year. It's not sure when Campos can move up to the next level. But it takes progress somewhere even if it is a slow one. After all, he's only 20 yrs. old and there is a lot of time to get him rehabbed and developed before he is fully ready to finally make a jump to the Bronx.

(In Photo: Manny Banuelos)
Manny Banuelos, or as I like to call him "Man-Ban" last pitched in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John surgery back in October. Since his surgery, he is expected miss all of 2013 and probably the early part of 2014. He is rehabbing 3 times a week, and only has started to play catch. He has yet to pitch any bullpen or simulated and it could be a long ways away from that. For now, Manny has to stay in good physical shape and follow through therapy until he has no further pain before actually picking up a baseball. Banuelos was ranked at No. 5 among Yankees prospects going into 2013.

We here at BYB will closely watch both their progress as they continue to work their way up to the big stage. Stay tuned.

-- Rudy Laurens, BYB Writer
Facebook: House of Champions



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BYB READERS WANT JESUS MONTERO BACK!

So there it is.  We did a poll around a month ago after a very depressing off season of not signing a top player that made Yankee fans say, “You know what? That’s an awesome signing!”  Instead, there were a lot of guys that combined, could be a terrific player, but as an individual, we’re rolling the dice.  Matt Diaz has already been signed and released by the Yankees and Dan Johnson and Juan Rivera aren’t exactly lighting it up.  So I had to know… since some players have left New York, be it free agency or trades or whatever over the past 7 years, if you had a chance to get 1 guy back, who would it be?   

There were 9 players on the list.  I left Nick Swisher off the list, and maybe I should have kept him on it.  The reason why was because I didn’t have any indication from Yankee brass that he was coming back because of his free agency year and so, it was a decision I made. But the reality was, that probably wasn’t fair because believe it or not, as far as write-in votes go, Nick Swisher received 12 votes.  So, I apologize to the BYB readers, but thanks for keeping me in check, with comments and emails, I appreciate it.  Anyway, here are the results of that poll:

 

93 people voted and Jesus Montero was the top of the heap with 31 votes, or 33%.  Losing Montero was like a punch to the gut when he was traded. Probably because there was really no chatter about the Yankees ever wanting to trade him and then... it just happened. To me, Montero leading in this poll made sense.

 Next up, receiving 18 votes was Raul Ibanez.  Ibanez was the post season hero for the Yankees and right around Christmas time, it was clear that the Yankees were going to re-sign Ibanez.  Shockingly, that never happened and Ibanez signed with the Mariners because the Yankees waited to long to make an offer.  That spawned a rant that will be read on BYB for years to come… read YANKEE FANS REVOLT: "ENOUGH'S ENOUGH!" for context on that. 

Chris Dickerson and Russell Martin each got 13 votes a piece, a tie.  Both guys contributed in their own ways and when both guys left after the season, Martin by choice, Dickerson by force, it was sad to see.  Again, Martin never got an offer from the Yankees, a surprise by many of us.  We all knew Dickerson would bounce back, he has the talent and always contributed.  He was a good soldier.  By the way, read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CHRIS DICKERSON if you haven’t already. He's on the Orioles now.

Next was good ol’ Nick Swisher with 12 write-in votes… Not too shabby for a guy I left off the list on purpose.  I guess I was thinking too hard.   I apologize again.  

And with 11 votes was Eric Chavez. Chavez did some great stuff while in New York and it was sad to see him leave to go to Arizona. Again, and I hate harping on this, but the Yankees didn’t really engage him and they let him walk.

You can check out the other voting as well, but I must say, you gotta feel alittle bad for George Kontos and Hector Noesi… big fat zeroes for them.  Oh well, life goes on. 

So there you have it, Jesus Montero is your guy!  Montero is the 1 player you’d like to have back if you could, and I happen to agree with you.  It would have made for some fun times in the Yankees catching situation right now, I’ll tell you that.  

Anyway, thanks for voting and thanks for reading.  We appreciate you guys here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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IF YOU COULD GET 1 GUY BACK, WHO WOULD IT BE?

There has been a lot of daydreaming ever since CurtisGranderson got shut down with a broken forearm, read HERE.  Many want to go back in time and get that outfielder that we could have as a backup.  Others are watching Russell Martin mash the ball in Pittsburgh and wonder why the Yankees never made an official offer if Martin was so “Munson-like” like Cashman suggested.  Let me tell you something, if a catcher is “Munson-like”, you never let them walk, but the Yankees did.

The point is Yankee fans are funny.  We feel entitled and that’s because of George, who went out and got the players the Yankee fans wanted, and even if we didn’t want them, tough... he knew he could collect a team who had a legitimate shot at winning it all and he was the Boss.  It started with Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter and he never looked back.

Now, here were are years later. George is dead and we saw several players who contributed in their own way the past few years, only to be shown the door without a clear indication as to why.  So I ask you… who do you miss most?  If you had to choose 1 guy, who would you pick to come back to the Yankees right now?  We’ll open it up to the past 7 years or so and this exercise is nothing more to engage you and when this poll is complete, we’ll write a piece about it.  There are plenty of guys who left that offered something to the Yankees, even small contributions, but they did.  So, it’s a poll.  Choose from guys who walked or we let walk as recently as Russell Martin and Raul Ibanez and as far back as Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi.  Sure, many factors go into the thinking, but to set the stage, we'll make it this simple:

Right now, at this present time, if you had to choose 1 guy to come back tomorrow and contribute to the Yankees' run for #28 in 2013, who would it be? Vote. Comment below and keep it light. There are guys like Eric Chavez and Hector Noesi and Raul Ibanez and Jesus Montero.  Vote and we’ll talk about it in more depth when the poll is complete. And if I missed one, write it in the comments section:

Johnny Damon

(In Photo: George Kontos)

George Kontos

Jesus Montero

Raul Ibanez

 

Eric Chavez

Jason Giambi

Russell Martin

Hector Noesi

Chris Dickerson

Have fun with this.
  
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WHAT'S IN STORE FOR PHELPS & PINEDA?

David Phelps: I have a gut feeling David Phelps is going to be traded.  I don't know why, but I almost feel like the guy is walking in the same footsteps as a guy like Hector Noesi... used a lot down the stretch, then Brian Cashman tries to find a microphone to tell everyone that he believes David Phelps will be a starter within the organization, read HERE and then I feel like in 2 days we wake up and he was traded off, like Noesi was, like Jesus Montero was... and then that up and comer we all hoped would be the next Yankee superstar is just gone.  Hopefully I'm wrong, but you never know when you're dealing with Cashman. This is what Cashman said about Phelps (HERE): "I don't pencil him anywhere right now, but I think he's best as a starter...Good starters can all go to the pen. Pens are where failed starters go. He can do that." 

(In photo: Hector Noesi)
Here is what Cashman said about Hector Noesi in December 2011 (HERE):  “Noesi has the chance to be a good major league starter... We like Noesi as much as we like Nova.’’ I see a pattern... could Phelps be traded next? Stay tuned.

Michael Pineda: Pineda will make his official Yankees debut... some day.  Cashman spoke of Michael Pineda and said this about his rehab (HERE): "...he’s just flat-ground throwing – but it will take him into late May (or) June. I think it’s best for us to pretend he’s not even there and then have him sneak up on us. And I hope he does, but I’m not going to count on him. I don’t think that’s going to be fair. Our fans need us to obviously put something there that you feel good about, and I don’t want to put something there that will take care of it in April and May and it’s kind of locked in, from June on we’re going to have this guy. That would be a mistake. He’ll be ready when he’s ready, and we’ll be happy to take him. But to count on him would be wrong.”

Everyone in Yankeeland wants to see this kid knock our socks off and if he doesn't we're going to kick and scream and wonder why the hell Cash got rid of Jesus Montero.  For now though, it's baby steps with Pineda... hopefully this kid pans out.

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YANKEES VS. MARINERS SERIES PREVIEW

The Yankees won their series against the first place Rays last night and triumphed over some tough pitching. After being swept in the first series against the Rays at the Trop the Yankees now have some momentum as they prepare for the Mariners this weekend. Everyone is looking forward to the matchups this weekend, but many are wondering how Jesus Montero will handle the pressure of being back in the Bronx...and how will the fans treat him?

This season so far, Jesus Montero is batting .268 with 4 home runs, 16 RBIs and 24 strikeouts.  Could the difference in ballparks be a factor this weekend? We'll need to see.

Robinson Cano is starting to hit, and what a relief.  Cano's up to .270 this season with only 2 homers and 9 RBIs. Something tells me that's about to change for the better.

Derek Jeter, our Captain just keeps on rolling.  Jeet's average is up to .388. He has 5 home runs and 15 RBI's.  I wouldn't be surprised if Jeter was able to get back up to .400 before the weekend is out and knowing him, he'll do something special on Mother's Day! And now... the matchups:

FRIDAY: Hiroki Kuroda vs. Felix Hernandez

Kuroda makes his 7th start tonight. So far he is 2-4 with a 3.75 ERA. Kuroda is looking for a bounce back start after a disappointing game against Kansas City. He only gave up two earned runs in 4.1 innings but he threw 91 pitches. Kuroda has admitted to struggling with his command lately and given his matchup for this series….he is going to need to be on his game and limit the runs he gives up. Even though the Mariners do not have a powerful offense, their tough pitching will be a challenge for the Yankee offense.

The Mariners will start their ace, King Felix Hernandez who is off to an impressive 3-1 start with a 1.89 ERA. King Felix pitched eight shutout innings against the Twins last week, allowing just one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts. The Yankees will have their hands full with King Felix who has decreased his ERA every start he has made this season. The key to being successful against King Felix is waiting for the right pitch and staying out of those ground ball double plays, which he seems to have mastered.

SATURDAY: Phil Hughes vs. Hector Noesi

Hughes’ last start against the Royals was definitely what the Yankees needed to see, and it may have kept his job as a starter. Hughes is now 2-4 in the season with a 6.67 ERA, which is an improvement from his previous 7.48 ERA. Hughes pitched a strong 6.2 innings only allowing three runs, one walk with seven strikeouts. The Yankee offense also gave him the run support that he has been missing so far this season scoring ten runs. Hughes was finally challenging hitters and had more confidence in his fastball. One successful start is not enough to take him off of the Yankees radar, especially not with Andy making his return to the team so he will need to continue to build upon this.

The Yankees will reunite with Hector Noesi on the mound, but this time they will have to take hits off of him instead of defend him. Noesi is 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA and has had a rough start to the season but his last start against the Twins showed signs of improvement. He had a shutout into the seventh inning until giving up a homerun. Despite the run, he only allowed four hits and struck out five.

SUNDAY: Andy Pettitte vs Blake Beavan

After intense training and four minor league starts, Andy is finally ready to rejoin the Yankees and makes his first start on Mother’s Day. Although his last AAA start was rough, Cashman and Andy both agree that he is ready to be called up and contribute to the team. Given the challenges the Yankees pitching rotation are having, if Andy can stay healthy he could be a huge stabilizing factor. At long last, we will be able to see that powerful stare peek through the top of his glove and that crippling pick-off move to first.

Blake Beavan will take the mound the mound for the Mariners, and although his 1-3 record isn’t pretty his abilities are better than his 4.32 ERA suggest. Beaven got a no decision on his last outing against the Tigers and he was pulled from the game at the top of the third inning with a right elbow contusion. The Mariners say it is unlikely that he will make his next start, but no one has been named an alternate starter yet.

This series will finally have the excitement that Yankee fans have been waiting so long for. When Andy takes the mound on Sunday I can’t wait to hear the roar of the crowd. Stay tuned, there will be some some great pitching matchups this series!

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

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